Muni Subway Maintenance Project
Project Introduction
The SFMTA maintenance crews work hard every night after Muni Metro subway service hours to maintain the tracks and equipment underground. On most nights, this gives them only about two hours to get work done. In order to complete critical maintenance tasks that cannot be completed during normal windows, we are planning a week of early subway closures, so crews have more hours each night to do this vital work. This is our ongoing effort to maintain the subway infrastructure to ensure safety and reliability. The last early subway closures for maintenance took place in August 2022.
DETAILS:
We are planning early subway closures from Thursday, March 16, through Wednesday, March 22. The subway between Embarcadero and West Portal will close early at 9:30 p.m. Buses will connect all stops on Market Street, beginning at 9:30 p.m. through the normal end of train service at 12 a.m. while the subway is closed for maintenance. T Third train will provide regular service from Sunnydale to Chinatown until 12 a.m. Owl service will remain unchanged. Trains will start regular morning service each day.
Improvements
This is our ongoing effort to maintain the subway infrastructure to ensure safety and reliability.
Transit Service Plan – 9:30 p.m. to 12 a.m.
KLM Bus Shuttle will serve all Muni Metro stops between Steuart/Market and St. Francis Circle. N Bus will serve between Church/Duboce and Caltrain
Train will operate between Balboa Park and St. Francis Circle
Train will operate between Balboa Park and St. Francisco Circle
Train will operate "interlined" between Balboa Park and Ocean Beach for both directions with a switch at Church/Duboce. N Judah train will continue on to Balboa Park as J Church
Train will operate "interlined" between Balboa Park and Ocean Beach for both directions with a switch at Church/Duboce. J Church train will continue to Ocean Beach as N Judah
Train will operate between Sunnydale and Chinatown
Transfer between train and shuttle bus at West Portal/Sloat (K&M), West Portal/Ulloa (L), Church/Duboce or Church/Market (J&N), Powell - Union Square/Market (T). Owl service will remain unchanged. Trains will start regular morning service each day.
Eastbound N Judah and Westbound J Church trains will use the accessible stop entering the Duboce Portal to serve customers needing the ramp.
For service on Market Street, Muni customers can board bus shuttles at a bus stop marked with the half- moon sign.
Muni customers are encouraged to leave extra travel time during subway closures.
Regular bus fares will apply on bus shuttles and valid transfers will be accepted.
The extended window will give us an opportunity to do complex work aimed at making subway operations more reliable and preventing future breakdowns.
Bus Routes and Rail Lines
The maintenance will cover overhead lines, tracks, signals and the Automated Train Control System, a signal system that tracks the location and speed of any trains in the subway.
Thank you for your patience and understanding while we improve the safety, reliability and on-time performance of the Muni Metro system.
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Maintenance of Way Signal technicians upgrade a legacy control system at Castro Station on Thursday night, April 14, 2022, the first day of Fix It Week. -
Maintenance of Way workers clean the eastbound platform at West Portal Station on Thursday night, April 14, 2022, the first day of Fix It week. -
Custodians from Buildings and Grounds get the opportunity to make the floor shine at Castro Station with the extended maintenance windows. With a deep clean and wax and the station is looking great. -
SFMTA Buildings and Grounds Custodians give the elevators at Forest Hill a deep clean during the early shutdown hours. -
SFMTA Building and Grounds teams give Forest Hill Station a deep Clean during April 2022 Fix It week. -
SFMTA Overhead Lines crews install new wires while buildings and grounds custodians complete a deep clean of the Mezzanine at Castro Station. -
SFMTA Line workers pull new overhead cables at Castro Station during Fix It Week. -
Safety First. MOW workers install a new custom sump cover during Fix It Week. These pumping systems help keep underground stations dry during the rain. Having the extended maintenance hours allows us to bring materials and personnel into rooms that are only accessible through the trackway. -
SFMTA has over five miles of tunnel, and one of the jobs of Maintenance of Way is keeping the tunnel fire extinguishers current. SFMTA Stationary Engineers were able to use the extra hours to keep our fire life safety systems ready to go. -
Mechanical Systems from SFMTA Maintenance of Way install a new fan and filter for a Traction Power room during Fix It Week. Keeping our electronics clean and at the right temperature goes a long way to extend the useful life of the equipment. -
MOW Motive Power staff rack out a breaker to turn off the overhead power in the subway during the maintenance window. The workers wear special suits to protect them from Arc Flash Incidents. -
These are 60 new batteries for the Church Street Substation. -
MOW staff from Motive Power and Track remove and replace 60 batteries in the Church Substation through the Subway. -
This is the access hatch to the Church Street Substation from the Subway. MOW staff from Motive Power and Track brought in new substation electrical equipment, along with 60 new batteries, and removed 60 old batteries, all through this narrow hatch. -
SFMTA Maintenance of Way employees clean out a mechanical room at Montgomery Station during the Early Shutdown Hours. -
Our Mechanical Systems and Track Maintenance crews take advantage of the extended work windows to remove debris from ventilation shafts, and mechanical and electrical rooms. Clean work areas keep our workers safe and efficient and extend the life of our equipment. -
Track Maintenance and Mechanic Systems personnel use the early shutdowns from fix-it week to complete a deep cleaning. -
MOW Mechanical Systems staff perform maintenance tasks at West Portal Station. -
SFMTA Track Maintenance installs new rails at the Embarcadero Crossover using the extended maintenance hours of Fix It Week. -
Members of the SFMTA Overhead Lines and Underground department perform preventative maintenance on a utility cable box at the Duboce Portal. -
SFMTA plumbers use the extra shutdown hours to make sure storm drains are clear and ready for the rainy season. (August 2022) -
Signal Maintenance staff inspect and repair induction loop cables, part of the Automatic Train Control System. This system allows trains to operate significantly faster than is possible using line of sight. -
The SFMTA rails not only carry the weight of trains but also carry electrical signals and return currents. Specialized electronic maintenance technicians work hand-in-hand with track maintenance and traction power teams to keep it all running smoothly. -
The 6th and King crossover is critical for turning back the N-Judah and staging trains to move crowds leaving Giants games. MOW personnel install a new switch machine in another step towards safer, faster and more reliable transit. The work was done during the day, but the testing needed to happen during the shutdown window. -
Subway engineers from Mechanical Systems restore and replace lighting systems throughout the tunnel, making stations safer for employees and the public. -
Dust abatement not only makes for cleaner rides but also improves the reliability of electronics and the effectiveness of visual inspections. -
Signal maintenance personnel work towards demolishing legacy systems to improve performance and make way for additional planned improvements. -
Taking advantage of the extended maintenance hours, the SFMTA Paint Shop applies fresh coat of paint at numerous points throughout the tunnel for graffiti abatement and station enhancement. -
Dan Alger from mechanical system group replaces worn and broken floor tiles improve safety and station appearance. -
Subway engineers from Maintenance of Way install new floor grates, allowing SFMTA employees to access critical equipment and perform inspections faster and safer. -
HVAC units must be purged with Nitrogen prior to refilling working fluids. Operating with compressed gases is best done at times without passengers.
Contact Information
Jessie Liang